Back in 2007, February was really fun – it's when Ella's U.S. Postage Stamp was released in celebration of BLACK HERITAGE MONTH

There we were, freezing in New York City at JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER with Ella's son, Ray Brown, Jr., and a children's choir, and Nancy Wilson… plus, sitting on the stage, was a Little Yellow Basket. Really.

It was President Gerald Ford who officially named February as BLACK HISTORY MONTH, back in 1976. Our friends up in Canada liked the idea, they celebrate in February as well.

(President Ford? Yeah, Ella met him.)

Dear, is the Time Machine warmed up and ready to go? We're heading back to Baltimore, Maryland - February 10, 1905, the day CHICK WEBB was born.

Oh wait, maybe we should go back to February 27, 1923, right here in L.A. –the day that DEXTER GORDON made his very first appearance. We don't have Dexter's baby picture, but how about this?

Photo courtesy of Maxine Gordon

This year, February is a Leap Year, so Dinah Shore and Jimmy Dorsey will actually have a birth DAY. (Dinah Shore: 2/29/1916 and Jimmy Dorsey: 2/29/1904)